THE Sahiwal Wastewater Treatment Plant, which started in 2019, was meant to upgrade the city’s municipal services in terms of health and environmental sustainability. Officials promised the locals jobs, economic growth, free fertiliser based on waste, and treated water for irrigation. Instead, the plant has become an ecological disaster.

Two hundred acres of fertile farmland in the city’s heart were taken up for the project when barren land on the outskirts could have been easily used. Hundreds of roadside trees were cut down, wiping out green cover.

Since 2019, local people have endured dug-up roads, poor detours, rainwater flooding and dust that causes respiratory problems. The plant does not actually treat wastewater. It just collects it and dumps it into an existing canal through open, unlined channels, letting untreated water seep into the ground and contaminate groundwater. These open canals also breed mosquitoes and lead to waterborne diseases, while stagnant waste gives off a constant stench that ruins air quality for nearby communities.

There has been no compensation for the environmental damage, no audits, and no long-term benefits for the area residents. As such, a project meant to protect the city’s environment has ended up dama-ging its land, water, air and public health.

Jahanzeb Nazir Sahi
Sahiwal

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2026